Rickshaws in Oxford.

Ride a rickshaw around Oxford? Erica Steinhauer smiles gleefully. `Oxford is the quintessence of civilization. The words "rickshaw" and "Oxford" don't usually go together in people's minds.'

A trip to India with her daughter over 12 years ago gave her the idea of bringing pedal rickshaws to Oxford.

`It all started with a rather traumatic rickshaw ride in Delhi,' says Steinhauer. When they wanted to return to their hotel late one night, the only transportation available was a man and his rickshaw. `During the ride, he was huffing and puffing, wiping sweat from his face. My daughter kept saying, "Let's get out," but we had no other option. In the end, I gave him all the money I had in my purse.'

During a time of crisis in 1991 when her business collapsed, her daughter suggested, `What about rickshaws in Oxford?' The idea fired Steinhauer's imagination and led to a four-year battle with the City Council's planners who opposed the idea due to congested streets, and with Balliol College which protested against a rickshaw rank outside its gates.

The opposition was disheartening at times, yet Steinhauer received `incredible' public support. An old woman clutched her at a bus stop, looked into her eyes and said, `Don't you give up.' The City Council's Highways and Traffic Licensing Officer, the City Solicitor, the City Tourism Manager and the police all supported her efforts. They viewed the rickshaw scheme as an environmentally sound support to tourism and also as a small source of revenue, since Steinhauer paid license fees each week. In the end, the planners were bypassed and a measure allowing the rickshaws to park on the street was granted by the Department of Transport.

The rickshaw cabs are imported from India and the chassis made in Birmingham with lightweight frames and multiple gears. An average woman can easily pedal two adults.

The rickshaw scheme is currently undergoing financial difficulties. Thirteen of the 17 rickshaws owned by Steinhauer have been bought by two wealthy benefactors and the company will now be run by a four-man cooperative. Steinhauer plans to continue promoting rickshaws in Britain with the hope of taking the idea to other cities.

Steinhauer is concerned about improving the lot of rickshaw drivers in India. She contributes to the Bridge Foundation which provides loans for drivers, enabling them to buy their own vehicles.

As well, Steinhauer works with the Gandhi Foundation to transfer the improved rickshaw technology to India, to help `the rickshaw drivers who earn a pittance and die young from enlarged hearts'.

She says her crisis in 1991 made her rethink her self-centred values and start caring about others. `I found God along the way having lost him--God came in a rickshaw!'